Joshua Turchin on The Perfect Fit and Supporting the Theater Community

With curtains closed and performances halted, theaters around the country have gone dark, but Joshua Turchin’s star is still shining so bright!

Joshua is an actor, dancer, composer, writer, and musician with a deep love of the theater. He has showcased his talents in multiple stage shows, written his own musical, and started his own cabaret – all by the age of 13! His musical, The Perfect Fit, is a coming of age story inspired by his own observations and experiences working in show business. He’s proof that you’re never too young to follow your dreams!

Joshua’s passion and hard work are awe-inspiring, both on stage and behind the scenes – and he isn’t letting quarantine slow him down! With Broadway shut down, he wanted to find a way to help support the theater community he loves. He rounded up out of work talent to virtually produce and record a cast EP for The Perfect Fit, and he transformed his cabaret series, The Early Night Show into a virtual podcast, which helps support The Actor’s Fund organization.

Get to know Joshua Turchin as he shares his inspiration behind The Perfect Fit, what it was like virtually recording an EP, and how he’s giving back to Broadway!

Get to Know Joshua Turchin:

You wrote your own original musical! Tell us a little bit about The Perfect Fit and what inspired you to tell this story.

JOSHUA TURCHIN: The Perfect Fit the Musical follows a diverse group of teenage performers hoping to avoid the dreaded theater ‘dead zone’, as they navigate through a web of stage parents, dance classes, and auditions, while their stories unfold trying to find their perfect fit.

What really inspired me to tell this story was my personal experience. I would constantly overhear competitive stage parents at dance comparing their children, and talking about how there were few opportunities for young actors when they become too old to play a child, or too young to play an adult, so I decided to write a show about it! Everyone says to “write what you know,” and that really speaks to me.

What goes into creating the book for a Broadway production?

JOSHUA: A lot. It involves a lot of patience, hard work, lots of rewrites, more rewrites, and inspiration.

You recently released an EP for The Perfect Fit that was recorded entirely virtually. What can you share about that experience?

JOSHUA: Yes! It was a great experience! I had to really think outside of the box to figure out a way that we could record everything while being in different states from each other in quarantine. We planned on recording a full studio album with Broadway Records, but then Coronavirus shut Broadway down. I wanted to keep the show going, and also continue creating opportunities for people who lost their jobs, like the actors and musicians. I connected with Dan Garmon, who music directed, orchestrated, and co-arranged the songs. We worked with the musicians and actors to record their tracks separately. I learned that we can still continue creating art and music despite our social distance.

How did you first discover your passion for Broadway?

JOSHUA: I’ve always had a love and passion for theater. Ever since I was little, I would listen to Broadway CDs nonstop! The musical that really made me realize that I wanted to do theater was Once: The Musical. It was one of the most beautiful shows that I had ever seen and helped fuel my love for performing and composing.

You also have your own podcast, The Early Night Show! What can you share about that?

JOSHUA: The Early Night Show was a cabaret series I did back before Coronavirus came along. I would host and music direct the shows, and we had some really amazing Broadway actors on the show! We were planning on doing another live version of it, but then the magic of COVID happened, and the theaters and Broadway shut down.

That’s when I had the idea to create The Early Night Show Virtual Edition: Corona Cabaret! I’ve had some really cool people on the show, like Tony Award winner Laura Benanti, kids from nearly every Broadway show you can name from the past 10 years, kids from Netflix shows, like Lily Brooks O’Briant, some from Disney+’s The Mighty Ducks, and more! So far, I’ve played over 200 songs on piano for the show!

What are a few things you like to do for fun?

JOSHUA: For fun, I LOVE to compose. I know it seems different, but I find writing music really fun, relaxing, and exciting. I also love to play with my puppy and go to Disney World and read, especially things about Disney!

How do you make a positive impact?

JOSHUA: I try to make a positive impact by giving back to the theater community. The Early Night Show was not only made to entertain people, but to also promote The Actor’s Fund, who are doing everything that they can to help people in the entertainment industry who found themselves out of work during the pandemic. I’ve also dedicated episodes of The Early Night Show to different charities, like The Ukulele Kids’ Club and Sing For Hope.

What is your biggest dream/goal for the future?

JOSHUA: My biggest goal for the future is to continue sharing my music with the world, and to hopefully bring some happiness to people who need it!

Do you have any advice you’d like to share with your fans?

JOSHUA: Keep working hard, because although something may not work out, you will eventually find your perfect fit!

If you loved getting to know Joshua, check out our interview with The Big Show Show actress and The Early Night Show guest, Lily Brooks O’Briant!