Savannah Lee May – Julie and the Phantoms

By starrymag | September 16, 2020

By: Sophia Soto

 

 

Q) What was it about this series and role that drew you to the project?

 

Everything. I know, that’s really specific. [laughs] Honestly though, the fact it was a musical based series, and who Carrie is. But, of course, one of the biggest draws was Kenny [Ortega] directing. When I read the audition sides I immediately fell in love with Carrie. I’ve always wanted to play the “mean girl,” but there’s never really been one that I connected with in this way before. Carrie is very determined to always be at her best and wants everything she does to be flawless. I am very much that way in real life. Maybe not to her extreme, but I am definitely a perfectionist when it comes to my work. So, not only was there a personal connection with the character, but the story itself is really beautiful.

 

 

Q) What was it like getting to work with Kenny Ortega?

 

A) An absolute dream. Someone as well known and established as Kenny, you can’t help but be a tad intimidated when you first meet him. Most people dream of having even just a small portion of the incredible career he’s had, so when I was going into my callback, I was really nervous. Now I realize I had no reason to be. From the moment he first introduced himself he was instantly one of the most genuine, kindhearted souls of anyone I have ever met. The person Kenny is, is truly one in a million and it’s really rare to come across people like him. Not to mention, he’s an absolute genius at what he does. He’s the kind of director who wants to hear your input on everything – the dialogue, the costumes, the character, literally every single thing that goes into your involvement with the show. You can’t ask for anyone better to be leading a project like “Julie and The Phantoms.”

 

 

Q) Is there a certain song you’re excited for fans to hear? Do you have a personal favorite that you listen to?

 

A) That’s a really tough one, I listen to the entire album on repeat! [laughs] I really love “Now or Never,” “Other Side of Hollywood,” “Wake Up,” “Stand Tall” and “Unsaid Emily.” That’s a lot more than one, but it’s impossible to pick my favorite. I am really excited for the fans to hear it all, but I think one they will really enjoy is “I Got The Music.” Especially the ones who grew up watching High School Musical, it is very reminiscent of the music from that franchise. The song is a major jam plus there’s a killer rap section that Jadah [Marie] (who plays Flynn) does. It’s one of my favorite moments on the album.

 

 

Q) Since your character is the leader of her own musical girl group, Dirty Candi, what was your favorite musical number to do and why?

 

A) They have such different vibes. “Wow” is really in your face and there’s a lot of power behind it whereas “All Eyes On Me” is a little more playful and bright. Both were a ton of fun to perform, but “All Eyes On Me” was probably my personal favorite. Having Owen [Joyner] (Alex) appear on stage and join us in the number was a blast! Although it was definitely a challenge to pretend that he wasn’t there and it took everything in me not to smile whenever he was in my eye line! [laughs] Hopefully, if we get renewed for another season, we could have more Carrie and Alex moments like that one.

 

 

Q) How was learning all of the choreography? Was there anything about it that was particularly challenging?

 

A) You know, our choreography team is so incredible. Kenny, Paul Becker, Tori Caro, Louise Hradsky and many others made the environment welcoming and were so supportive from the very start. I was really excited about jumping into dance rehearsals just because I’ve been dancing my whole life, but I’m not gonna lie, I was a little nervous. I haven’t really danced on this level in quite a few years. I mean, it’s a Kenny Ortega project. You know the choreography is going to be next level. However, learning the choreography with that team and the fabulous girls of Dirty Candi was truly a wonderful experience.

 

 

Q) Was getting to play Julie’s rival fun acting wise?

 

A) Oh, it was so much fun! The banter between Julie (Madison Reyes) and Carrie is one of my favorite things about their relationship. It’s even better with someone like Madison. She truly embodies Julie and that makes all those little moments even easier to shoot. I remember after I booked the job, I had to go out to Vancouver for about a week for the table reads, record the songs, camera test, etc. The day after I got there Madi texted me asking if I was free to grab coffee and hang out. So, we met up at Starbucks and sat there talking all about Julie and Carrie. What is their backstory, how do they interact with one another and is there any chance of a future friendship? We covered so many different sections of their relationship with each other. I think just having that conversation with her made a huge impact on how we approached those scenes. Even though there’s not many details revealed in the show as of now, you can definitely see there’s more to Carrie and Julie than just being rivals.

 

 

Q) How was it getting to do a musical rather than just a regular series?

 

A) I felt like a little kid in a toy store. Being such a musical theater geek at heart I was loving the fact there was SO much music within this show. And it doesn’t hurt that it’s pretty incredible music as well. I mean, I lived for the High School Musical franchise and just hoped that one day I could be a part of something like that. I just never thought that would happen. Loving music/musicals is such a huge part of who I am and to be able to enter that kind of world again is the best feeling. Oh, and having Cheyenne Jackson in the cast was major fangirl moment. I almost forgot my own name when I went to introduce myself….

 

 

Q) What was your favorite thing about playing Carrie?

 

A) I love the challenge that comes with playing a role like Carrie. She is one of the “bad guys” of the show, but she’s not a naturally awful person. That was one big thing Kenny and I talked about pretty early on before filming. He didn’t want Carrie to be mean just because she wants to be. I didn’t either. I wanted people at home watching to kind of guess on why they think Carrie is this way. There’s a lot more to the story that the audience doesn’t get to see quite yet. So, to have these really clever remarks and comebacks stem from something other than just pure hatred was for sure a challenge but it’s one that I really loved.

 

 

Q) Are there any special memories or stories from filming that you could share?

 

A) So many! [laughs] I probably have stories from every single day on set. There was never a dull moment. One funny memory I have was with Madi, Jadah and Sacha [Carlson] while we were filming the scenes at my house. There were so many funny moments between our characters in those scenes and it took everything in me not to break character. One that comes to mind is when Julie is looking around my house for the Phantoms and Flynn is trying to distract us. Well, Jadah improvised this super elaborate story about a raccoon in her backyard. I just remember sitting there trying my very hardest to keep a straight face. Then she is supposed to come sit in between myself and Sacha, but we were sitting so close together on the couch there was no way she could naturally sit in the middle. She came over to squeeze herself in and ended up sitting on top of me. It was insanely hilarious and once they yelled “cut” we all just burst into laughter.

 

 

Q) What do you hope viewers take away from watching “Julie and the Phantoms?”

 

A) I hope they feel inspired to go after their dreams. I mean, just being in the show surrounded by such talent, I felt inspired every single day. I’ve never had such an emotional connection to a project before and I think a lot of that is due to our relationships with each other in real life. There is so much love within everyone who works on this show and the cast has become like a second family to me. I can’t imagine my life without them. We all genuinely had a blast working on this show and I think the audience can clearly see that on the screen.

 

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who are fans and supporters of you and your work?

 

A) I can’t thank them enough. It feels weird to say that they are fans because I feel closer to them than that! [laughs] Whether they’ve known me since “Knight Squad” or saw me for the first time in “Julie and the Phantoms,” it means the world to me that they want to be invested in my career. I do this because I love it. Of course, that’s the main reason. But I also want them to enjoy what I do. I want to make them proud! Even though I might not answer every direct message or comment, I still want them to know just how much I appreciate all of their love and support. It means more than they know.