Jonathan Groff

And so connecting to the importance of...

telling the story and communicating the ideas was essential in getting me over that kind of crying that makes it unable to speak.

And so I still feel quite emotional when I'm singing it, and tears do come, but the necessity and the need to

articulate the thoughts and the ideas.

I keep thinking when does it end?

When I said yes to signing on to Hamilton for a year, I said yes, of course, because I loved the nine minutes that I got to be on stage as King George.

But really the yes was to be inside of that brilliant material eight times a week.

Theater for me is, it's almost religious.

They say you are what you repeatedly do.

And when you're doing a show, you show up to the theater eight times a week.

and you repeat the same words over and over again.

And so I take it really seriously what you're fortunate enough to be in the position where I can, in certain ways, choose the things that I get to spend

the eight show a week, the material that I get to spend doing that.

And with Hamilton, I would stand in the king costume, in the box, and I would peek through the curtain and I would watch the entire show.

Performing-wise,

It's so much more difficult for me to do those nine minutes than it is to play Frank because to come out cold and sing and leave and, like you said, Terry, not interact with anyone is not my personal dream of acting.

I love interacting while acting.

With Merrilee, getting to hear this incredible material and get to have this incredible material inside of my body eight times a week is literally life-changing.

The cells in your body, the music, the vibration, I feel like I'm 18 when the show is over.

And to be inside of something where you can play...