Josh Dela Cruz on his film, 'Blue's Big City Adventure'

Joshua Dela Cruz, the charming and gracious Fil-Am lead and host of the feature musical, "Blue's Big City Adventure," goes back to New York City where his career started as a former Broadway actor.

The 34-year-old actor, who was born to Filipino immigrants of Bicolano and Ilocano descent, does a lot of sing-and-dance production numbers in the musical spectacular that includes a number of Broadway stars like BD Wong, Phillipa Soo, Steven Pasquale, Ali Stroker, Alex Winter and special guest Taboo.

Directed by Matt Stawski and written by Angela Santomero, the film also stars the former hosts of "Blue's Clues", Steve Burns and Donovan Patton, for the first time reunited with Josh in New York City.

The musical, which features the fan-favorite animated characters, follows Josh (Josh Dela Cruz), who gets the opportunity of a lifetime to audition for Rainbow Puppy's (Brianna Bryan) Broadway musical, and Blue (Traci Paige Johnson) as they skidoo to New York City where they meet new friends and discover the magic of music, dance and following one's dreams.

Featuring all-new songs and choreography, the movie will have its Philippine premiere on April 29, Saturday at 9:30 am on the Nick Jr. channel (available on SKY cable and Cignal, and other local operators).

We were able to interview Josh via Zoom.

Photo courtesy of Nickelodeon/Paramount+

How was it filming in Times Square?

It's amazing. I remember whenever we would go to the city, we would bring family or friends who were visiting us in New Jersey to New York. The two things we would do were pack up the entire car and drive to Times Square.

My dad would then drop us all off in the middle of Times Square to go take a picture, to look around. Once he was done circling the block, he would pick us up and then we'd drive down to Chinatown, to Mei Lai Wah, and then we'd get siopao and then we'd go back home.

For my family, up until I went to college, visiting New York City was always just going to Times Square. Then now having a completely different relationship to it is not a better way, but in a different way, to see the same place with different eyes whenever we go back.

I see my family growing up and then I also now see this new part of my adulthood where I'm starting to find my footing and starting to find my voice and my place in the industry. It's just really awesome.

You have a lot of song and dance numbers here. Talk about the most challenging scene that you did and how did you prepare for it?

It's so funny, we could not have done this movie without the team that we had. The director, Matt Stawski, Derek McKane, our cinematographer, our choreographers, Lindsey Blaufarb, and Craig Hollaman. They were the reason why the choreography, everything shined.

The music with Stef Fink, Sam Posner, and the team working together is really what made this movie that was made fast and dirty, look the way it looks and punches way above its budget.

I found out about the movie maybe a month and a half before we were shooting. So, I left for break met my nephew on the other side of the country got tan and ate all the food and not really exercising. Then I get this email from my agent saying, "Oh, hey, they're going to do the 'Blue Clues' movie." I'm like, "Awesome, let's do it."

I was like, "Oh, it's going to be in a month and a half." I'm like, "Oh, let me see the script real quick." And I'm like, "Oh, I think this is in New York City. Wait, they're shooting in New York City." Because we typically film on a green screen in Toronto.

So, I guess the hardest part was we only really had two weeks of rehearsal before going into a movie. Typically, movie musicals have months of rehearsal and pre-production, but because of the team that we have, our choreographers are amazing. The dancers that we brought into the show, and into the movie are so incredible that it really elevated everything that we were doing.

So while every number had its challenges, it was so fun getting to shoot it and getting to learn from everybody working on it, that the hardest thing was probably just the self-care.

I hurt my hip around at the beginning of rehearsal, so making sure that I did my physical therapy and everything so that when I did the numbers, I would not only be healthy but continue that health throughout the entire movie.

Photo courtesy of Nickelodeon/Paramount+

How was it filming with the original hosts, Steve Burns and Donovan Patton?

They are truly my Kuyas in real life. I love them so much. Anytime we get to hang out with each other, I'm there. It doesn't matter what we're doing, I ask, "Oh, is Steve going to be there? Is Donovan going to be there? Yeah, let's do it."

They are my biggest fans and supporters and I'm so thankful that they are who they are. They are the good people that they are on the show and they're that in real life.

You are a former Broadway actor as well. What do you miss about performing on Broadway?

The family and getting to connect with the audience before and after the show. There's nothing like live theater because every performance is different, even though it's the same, technically the same lines, the same music, the same steps, and the same blocking every single night, every show is different. It's so exciting. It's so rewarding and it's hard, hard work.

But there really is no feeling like, the community within the company. I had the fortune of being in the original company of "Here Lies Love" when we built the show in Williamstown Theater Festival, when we went off Broadway. And then now, I get to watch it as an audience member, when it makes its Broadway debut. It's really, really amazing. So, I think I missed the community most of all within the cast and then with the audience.

How was your first audition process in Broadway? What do you remember?

Oh my gosh, my first Broadway audition I remember very vividly. It was for "West Side Story." It was for a replacement in "West Side Story."

If you got the job, you would start that day. I remember being like, "Oh my gosh, all right, I got to be ready." I was like, "Well, what do I need for a Broadway rehearsal?" I'm like, well, I know that everybody, all the dancers are wearing, this is before Lululemon, so all the dancers are wearing Adidas track pants.

I remember I got Adidas track pants. I was getting ready. I was like, "Oh, I should probably wear a tank top because I'm probably auditioning for a Shark" and just to show that I'm physical. And then I remember the choreographer, we did the choreography. It was fun. And then the choreographer at the end was like, "All right," there were, I think three of us there. "You have to press me."

So, you just have to do a lift. I remember thinking, I've never done a lift before. So, you have the choreographer go down the line and you have to press him as he goes into Sous-Sus and up and hold him there for a beat. I remember I'm like, as soon as I put my hand on his hips, I was like, I'm not getting this job.

Photo courtesy of Nickelodeon/Paramount+

Is this your first time working with Broadway actors and singers like Phillipa Soo, Steve Pasquale, Ali Stroker, and BD Wong?

Yes. Well, so these are all people that I really, really looked up to and I continue to look up to. BD Wong, like trailblazer, Ali Stroker, trailblazer. She's from Jersey. And I've been wondering, I was like, "I feel like I have met you before, but I know that I haven't." And we found out later that her sister and I went to the same musical theater summer camp the year the summer that changed my life. And that's when we're like, "Oh my gosh, it makes so much sense because you look so familiar, but the first name is wrong."

I just didn't think of, well, maybe that's her sister. And Philipa Soo and Steve Pasquale, I have bootlegs of both of them singing. They're people whom I truly look up to and whom I think are the best in the business. And to be in this movie with them is incredible.

I was really trying to not nerd out when I was with them. I was like, just be cool, just be yourself, everything's fine. Especially my buddy Taboo from the Black-Eyed Peas, he's a good friend of mine, and thankfully his schedule was worked out that he made it into the movie. But I've been friends with him. But for some reason, I'm like, "Oh man, he's going to be in the movie. Just be cool." I was like, "No."

And as soon as I saw him, everything melted away and I was like, oh, these are my people and people who really care about the kids and care about the movie, and I'm so happy that they're in it.

Did you ever meet Alesso Joaquin Spinelli who portrayed the young Josh?

Yes, I did. So, we were shooting, I think on our last day we shot together. I think he was filming the second to last day. Then we had to come back the next day because of the hurricane.

We actually had water coming up from the floor and the sink in our studio in Brooklyn. So, I'm trying to remember what scenes we shot that was that. I think it was the stinger at the end of the movie. We're like, "The movie's over, bye." And most of the beginning of the movie was shot on the day after the flood.

—MGP, GMA Integrated News