Interview: Denise Prosek/Justin Lucero of JOURNEY ON at Theater Latté Da

BraodwayWorld was lucky enough to pick the brains of two of the Twin Cities' best creatives as they have joined forces to create Theatre Latté Da's 100th production: Journey On.

What follows is that interview which has been split into 2 parts. The first is with original co-founder, Denise Prosek and the second with currect artistic director, Justin Lucero. 

BW: As someone who was an original co-founder, what has it been like to help create the 100th show?

DP: Helping to envision a celebration of Theater Latté Da’s 100th show is such an honor especially because I’m collaborating with Justin Lucero and Elissa Adams. I’m excited because we’re creating this production in the cabaret format, a shout out to Latté Da’s roots. It’s been thirty-one years since Peter Rothstein (Latté Da’s original Artistic Director and co-founder) and I began working together, and combing through those productions has brought so many emotions and memories bubbling to the surface—working for the first time with Tod Petersen on his new show (Oh S#!%, I’m Turning Into My Mother), performing Latté Da’s first official show (Lost In Boston) late-night at the Loring Playhouse because no other times were available opposite Casey Stangl’s Eye Of The Storm production, deciding to still have rehearsal for The Rink on September 11, 2001, remembering Tyler Michaels King make his grand entrance for Cabaret at The Pantages by careening of the balcony onto the main floor seating, hiring Andrew Cooke to music direct Floyd Collins so I could give birth to my first child, watching Peter Rothstein’s creation—All Is Calm—become a holiday staple around the country, making The Ritz our permanent home. Every production has an emotional memory attached to it. From our inception, one of the pillars of Latté Da’s mission was to create an authentic relationship with our audience—artists and audiences being in the same room experiencing the story together, and Journey On celebrates this relationship with songs that represent milestones for Latté Da as an organization, for our artists who have worked so hard to make Latté Da a respected institution, and for our audiences who have supported and invested in us for decades.

BW: What do you hope the audiences take away from this production?

DP: Every song from Journey On has been chosen to reflect a moment from Latté Da’s past that has had some significance. As in life, these small moments add up to cherished memories and landmarks of special times in our lives. We begin with the very first song of the very first cabaret show that Peter Rothstein and I put together four years before Latté Da was born and we continue through the years. But Journey On is more than just a retrospective. It’s a celebration of musical theater and its ability to challenge how we view the world around us; how one song can reach into our soul and enable us to empathize with people that seem so different from ourselves; how this quintessential American art form has the power to keep asking us how we can change for the better.

BW: You are co-creating this show with Justin who is just beginning his second year as artistic director, what advice do you have for him as he continues shaping the future of Latté Da?

DP: He doesn’t need any advice from me! He’s well-established as a leader in musical storytelling. You need look no further than his programming for the upcoming season to see the continuation and expansion of Latté Da’s mission. A cabaret to celebrate our history and our future, a reimagining of the classic My Fair Lady for a 2025 audience, infusing music into a classic play, Glass Menagerie, producing a new classic, and staging a world premiere. Theater Latté Da is in good hands.

BW: What have you found most rewarding about coming back to lead the music direction of this piece?

DP: Journey On is such a gift to me. The honor of being able to revisit thirty-one years of creating theater with friends that soon became family will last forever. Arranging music has always held a special place for me since Latté Da’s beginnings. For this celebration, I get to write music for nine incredible singer/actors and five musicians. Justin’s vision of this piece is coming to life through the tireless work of the designers and crew. Journey On is my way to say thank you to all the artists and audiences for allowing me to be a part of this community and letting me lead this magical life.

BW: Mounting Latté Da’s 100th show has to be a tad intimidating. What inspired you to do a cabaret style show, instead of mounting a full production of a play/musical?

JL: Honestly, it hasn’t felt intimidating—it’s felt like a true honor. When we wrapped up last season, which was my very first as Artistic Director, we realized that Passion was production number 99. Which meant our season opener this fall would be our 100th show! And as we looked more closely at the season ahead, we noticed two other incredible milestones:  the completion of our ambitious five-year 25 X 25 New Works initiative, and the 100th birthday of our home, the Ritz Theater. That pretty quickly gave us our programming theme: a season of celebration.

And what better way to kick off that season than with a celebratory bang? We decided a cabaret-style concert would let us look back and look forward at the same time—a way to honor the incredible history of this company while also setting the tone for what’s next.

And truthfully, the inspiration also came from our annual Showstoppers Gala. Every year, people tell us the cabaret entertainment at that fundraising event is a must-attend, and the best gala period. Two galas in for me and I've fielded so many of the same, identical comments from attendees: “I wish more people could see this!” So we thought: let’s launch the season with that same energy, on a bigger scale.

On a personal note, over my first year here, I found myself diving deep into Latté Da’s story. The more I learned, the more I loved — the productions, the people, the bold choices, the turning points. This concert felt like the perfect way to invite our audiences into that legacy, whether they’ve been with us since the beginning or are just getting to know us now.

BW: How did you select the song choices and feel of the show?

JL: It started with Denise Prosek, Elissa Adams (Associate Artistic Director and resident dramaturg), and me sitting down to look at the company’s full history. Not just chronologically, but in terms of eras, turning points, and artistic identity. We literally went through all 99 shows and started pulling songs we loved. That list quickly became massive, but it gave us a foundation.

From there, we thought about the story we wanted to tell. What have been the defining moments? What are the shows and voices that changed the course of the company? That helped us shape the arc of the concert.

Then, of course, we started dreaming about the performers. So many beloved voices have graced our stage over the years, and we wanted to bring a stellar group together. And once we had that dream list of artists, we began matching them to material — or, in some cases, selecting songs because we just had to hear that artist sing that song. I mean, how could we not gift our attendees Erin Capello singing “Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina”? Or Evan Tyler Wilson the platform for “Streets of Dublin”? And pairing Deidre Cochran and Ronnie Allen for “Wheels of a Dream” just felt like something that had to happen.

And then there’s Denise—ever the brilliant musical mind—who found a beautiful way to use “Journey On” from Ragtime (one of our most iconic productions) as a thread to tie Act One together. It’s been a true team effort, but Denise has been the chief architect.

BW: What has it been like working with one of the original Co-Creators of Latté Da, to create this show? 

JL: Working with Denise has been incredible. Even before I officially started, she was already offering support and insight. She served on the search committee that hired me, and she’s been a steady supporter ever since — from supporting our music directors from production to production behind the scenes to continuing to curate every one of our amazing Showstoppers Gala performances.

So when we started dreaming up Journey On, I knew immediately that she was the perfect partner to help bring it to life. And not only that, Denise is also music director for my production of My Fair Lady this season, which speaks volumes about her continued passion and presence in the company.

We also knew the concert needed a guide, an emcee. Someone who could serve as both host and historian. Tod Petersen was the natural choice. He was in our very first season and our most recent one. We worked together on my directorial debut, Cinderella, and quickly became close friends. Tod has this wonderful mix of humor, heart, and history — and a treasure trove of stories from his years with Latté Da and his close friendship with Peter Rothstein, our longtime co-founding Artistic Director.

Having both Denise and Tod involved makes this show not just a celebration, but a true homecoming.