Wednesday, December 12, 2018

Bergen County, NJ Native Picked From Thousands To Be New 'Blue's Clues' Host [Updated]

This N.J. Actor Grew Up with Blue's Clues. Now He's Hosting It!

New Jersey - Back in the '90s, when Josh Dela Cruz and his little sister used to watch Nickelodeon's beloved preschool series Blue’s Clues at his aunt’s Bergenfield home, the New Milford native never could have imagined he'd someday be chosen from more than 3,000 actors — among them, John Cena — to play Blue’s companion in the Nickelodeon show’s upcoming revival, Blue’s Clues & You.


Joshua Dela Cruz, new host of Blue's Clues & You (Photo: Business Wire)


“It’s absolutely nuts,” said Dela Cruz, 29, a stage actor who formerly appeared in Disney's Aladdin on Broadway, as Aladdin's understudy. “Never in a million years did I imagine when I was in Bergenfield, I’d be that guy someday.”

Dela Cruz was selected by former host Steve Burns in early September to star alongside the iconic puppy.

“I pinch myself every day. I keep thinking it’s a dream, and I’m going to wake up and I’m on a show where I got Punk’d.”

It’s been 12 years since Blue and host Donovan Patton, who '90s kids might remember as “Joe,” sang the last “Goodbye Song.” However, Dela Cruz says Nick Jr. has been eager to revive the preschool classic, having announced its reboot in March.

“From what I remember, Nickelodeon always wanted the show to come back, but it was all about timing,” Dela Cruz told NJ Advance Media. “We have an entire new generation of fans, and parents are just as excited.”


In the new reboot, Blue and host Dela Cruz will take viewers on "a clue-led adventure" and solve a daily puzzle, Nickelodeon's press office said. An official release date hasn't been announced, but production for a 20-episode order starts this month in Toronto.

Dela Cruz, who is Filipino, is the first Asian-American actor to take on the role of Blue’s companion.

“Growing up, I never saw anyone that looked like me on TV or film,” he admitted. “More specifically, I never saw anyone on screen that looked like me but played an American, one that didn’t have an accent or didn’t do karate.

“That hits home for me as such a strange thing. My favorite thing to read is people saying, ‘he looks like me.’ I never experienced that as a kid.”



He started out locally

Growing up in a karaoke-loving, Filipino-American household in Bergen County, Dela Cruz said he used to be a “pretty quiet kid” and didn’t like singing around people. But the more he watched Blue’s Clues, the more he’d start to sing along with Steve.

Dela Cruz started singing the “Mailtime Song” to his sister, leading him to grow comfortable with singing in front of others. Now, he credits Blue and Steve Burns for helping him “get past the shy barrier" and start singing in his school's choir.


When he was older, Dela Cruz joined New Milford High School’s theater program to make friends, but he never saw acting as a potential career until the summer before his junior year, during which he earned a coveted scholarship to study at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn.

“That summer changed my life,” he said. “I was around people who wanted to do this for a living, and I felt at home.”

He went on to earn his musical theater degree at Montclair State University before landing a Broadway role as Aladdin’s understudy and an ensemble member. He also held the lead role for a limited time in 2017.


Joshua Dela Cruz, new host of Blue's Clues & You and Steve Burns, original host of Blue's Clues (Photo: Business Wire)

Yes, he got to meet Steve

Dela Cruz said he first landed an audition for the children’s show over the summer, but then a month went by and he hadn’t heard back yet. However, by the time August came around, his agent told him he had a callback.

“I thought I’d been out of the running by now,” he said.

But the following week, he was already at a screen test with producers, creators, a camera crew and sound technicians — and Steve Burns, too.

“They didn’t tell me he was in the room,” Dela Cruz said. “I did my scene, and they were like ‘Steve, you got anything you want to add?’ And he just emerges.”

The pair instantly bonded. “He’s one of the nicest human beings I’ve ever met,” Dela Cruz said.

“He automatically made me feel empowered, like I belonged there. And then all my jitters started to melt away.”

Burns, who is working as a consultant for the new show, said he gives Dela Cruz two thumbs up.

“He can definitely fill my shoes, and the rugby shirt,” Burns said in a statement through Nickelodeon.

Cathy Galeota, senior vice president of Nick’s preschool content, said, “Josh’s wonderful theater background and his natural charisma checked all the boxes for us, and of course Steve’s stamp of approval only solidified our decision.”


He's totally nostalgic for the 90s

Dela Cruz said his generation just barely missed the age group that would watch Blue’s Clues when it debuted, but like any 20-something-year-old who grew up in the 1990s, he's still sentimental Nickelodeon’s old programming.

“Nick was a huge part of my life,” Dela Cruz recalled. “They had great programming like Hey Arnold! when I was growing up. They spoke about real things. They got you excited about learning and experiencing different types of cultures.”

Nowadays, most of his friends who remember Blue’s Clues are getting married and have children of their own. Dela Cruz himself has been married for two years. He said he hopes families can bond over the show, which begins production in Toronto this month.

“I’m so excited to bring it to a new generation because they can watch with their parents who might have nostalgia with this show,” he said. “I want to get kids to be excited about curiosity, to not be afraid to ask for help, and just be silly and make mistakes.”

See Joshua in this YouTube video singing Somewhere Over the Rainbow.



And here, in a staging of King and I at the North Shore Music Theatre.



You can also see his dance skills in this video:



Original source: NJ.com.

Update (10/3) - From The Huffington Post:

New 'Blue's Clues' Host Hopes To Be An Asian-American Role Model For The Next Generation

Filipino-American actor Joshua Dela Cruz's role in the Nickelodeon show could have a positive influence on young viewers' perceptions of Asian-Americans.

As children and nostalgic adults alike gear up for the reboot of iconic Nickelodeon kids’ show “Blue’s Clues,” young Asian-Americans looking for a relatable role model on the small screen have yet another reason to be excited.

The network recently revealed that Joshua Dela Cruz, a Filipino-American actor, will be the host of the new series, “Blue’s Clues & You.” And while much of the hype has focused on the reboot itself, Dela Cruz’s Asian-American identity isn’t something to gloss over.

"I had always felt that if you wanted to be on television, you had to know how to fight or have an accent. It was incredibly alienating." - Joshua Dela Cruz

Dela Cruz himself knows firsthand how important his role could be. He told HuffPost that he grew up believing that Asians in entertainment could exist only in a very narrow space.

“I didn’t see anyone who looked like me on American film and television. More specifically, there weren’t any Asian actors that played Americans,” he said. “I had always felt that if you wanted to be on television, you had to know how to fight or have an accent. It was incredibly alienating.”

Research has long shown that television has a significant influence on how kids perceive themselves and others, sociologist Nancy Wang Yuen told HuffPost. A 2011 study of white and black children revealed that while TV exposure led to an increase in self-esteem for white boys, the opposite was found for white and black girls as well as for black boys. Moreover, a 2013 study showed that even nonverbal behavior like facial expressions and body language can have an impact on viewers’ race biases.

For Dela Cruz, the effect of a lack of Asian-American representation hit him particularly hard during his senior year of high school, while he was working on an independent study project. For the assignment, he wrote an illustrated superhero comic ― a genre he’d always been passionate about. He still recalls the pride he felt as he formulated an origin story and created his character’s costume and powers.

He expected great praise from his art teacher after submitting the project, but he was instead met with a remark that forced him to confront his own identity struggles.

“[The teacher] tilted her head and looked at me again, saying, ‘Oh, usually people like to draw their heroes in their image,’” he remembered. “I had the opportunity to create an entire world and make my hero anything I wanted. What I had created that year was a superhero with blond hair and blue eyes, someone that looked nothing like me.”

“Finding my place in this world has always been something I’ve struggled with,” he added.

But Dela Cruz said he sought inspiration from fellow Filipino-American actor Lou Diamond Phillips, who the host feels “could play anyone, and do it better than anyone.” Dela Cruz, who acted alongside Phillips while working on Broadway’s “The King and I,” said the actor wasn’t just his childhood hero but also his cheerleader.

“He has a way of bringing complete strangers together and empowering them,” he said. “I remember being at a rehearsal and I was completely overwhelmed ― it was the biggest show I had ever done ― and during a break, he pulled me aside and said, ‘You belong here. They cast you because you belong here.’ I’ll never forget that. I’m forever grateful to him for it.”

"'Blue's Clues' can have tremendous cultural and educational influence on young children and their families while allowing Asian-American children to feel 'seen' on TV." - sociologist Nancy Wang Yuen

Yuen said that in his conspicuous role, Dela Cruz could positively influence how the younger generation views people of color if the show can responsibly delve into his Asian-American identity ― not just treat it as an aside.

“It is imperative that the show creates storylines and dialogue that highlights Dela Cruz’s heritage as an Asian-American, specifically Filipino-American,” the sociologist said. “‘Blue’s Clues’ can have tremendous cultural and educational influence on young children and their families while allowing Asian-American children to feel ‘seen’ on TV.”

As for Dela Cruz, he’s excited for the journey ahead.

“I’m honored to have the opportunity to empower a new generation of ‘Blue’s Clues’ hunters,” he said. “To help them learn to be kind, explore their curiosity and that anything is possible if you take things one step at a time.”

###

Also, from Northern Highlands Daily Voice:

Bergen County Native Picked From Thousands To Be New 'Blue's Clues' Host

America, meet your new "Blue's Clues" host Joshua Dela Cruz.

The Filipino-American actor hails from Bergen County and was chosen by show host Steve Burns as his successor for the its Nickelodeon reboot as "Blue's Clues and You," the network announced on social media.

The Bergenfield native, 29, said it's a "wild, wild dream" to be at the helm of such an iconic show -- one that he grew up watching.

"'Blue's Clues' was about communicating," he said. "It taught me to be curious and ask questions and be silly."

Dela Cruz has appeared in Disney's Aladdin on Broadway as the understudy for Aladdin and ensemble member. He was also in "King and I" with Lou Diamond Phillips, "Here Lies Love and Encores!" and more.

Production will begin this month. No air date has been announced.

###

From NorthJersey.com:

'Blue’s Clues' returns with New Milford High alum as host

Joshua Dela Cruz is in a Toronto production studio standing in front of a green screen, talking to imaginary figures.

There is a good reason for this.

He is the new human host of "Blue's Clues & You," the reboot of the much-loved children's show that ran on Nickelodeon from 1996 to 2006, about an animated puppy named Blue who left a trail of clues so the viewing audience could figure out her plans.

It gained a following because of its interactive approach to children's programming, and it made stars out of hosts Steve Burns ("Steve") and later Donovan Patten ("Joe") and introduced the world to memorable characters like Mr. Salt and Mailbox.

Production began last month on the show. No premiere date has been announced.

For Dela Cruz, a 2007 graduate of New Milford High School and 2011 graduate of Montclair State University, it's a role that has challenged him, yet has amazed him.

"When I had first auditioned for the show, they first told me, 'You're going to be in a green box for about seven months, are you OK with that?' I said, 'Of course,' Dela Cruz recalled. "I was definitely surprised about how much of my imagination I have had to use."

And for the 29-year-old Filipino actor, who was born in the United Arab Emirates, lived in New York, and moved to New Milford when he was in the first grade, being the host is a dream coming full circle. He remembered watching the original "Blue's Clues," with his younger sister at their aunt's home in Bergenfield.

"It was such a huge part of my childhood and my younger sister's childhood, and hearing that it's coming back and knowing that there's a chance that I might be the next host of this show that was such a huge part of our lives is stunning," Dela Cruz said. "It was singing 'Mail Song' that got me comfortable singing out loud."

"Mail Song," also known as "Mailtime," is one of the notable tunes from the original show.

Dela Cruz's performing path to "Blue's Clues & You" started when he entered New Milford High School. His older sister encouraged him to get involved with extracurricular activities such as musical theater.

That would lead to the musical theater program at Montclair State University, where he met his future wife, Amanda Phillips, and then a career on screen and on stage, including as understudy in Disney's Broadway version of "Aladdin."

At his audition in March, he was among 3,000 hopefuls. Dela Cruz didn't think he would be in the running until he kept getting callbacks to do more screen tests.

When he found out he got the part, he was walking on water, so to speak.

"I was on a cruise ship visiting my wife, who was doing her contract, who is an actress ... My phone started ringing, and I just let it go for fear of a telemarketer. And then I realized, 'Oh, you should be expecting some news right now and it's a New York number, so you'd better pick it up," Dela Cruz said with a laugh.

He continued, "I picked it up and I don't really remember the conversation outside of 'Hey Josh, we just want to let you know that you got it.' I was stunned that I had [phone service], and then that I got the job."

Since then, he has been busy taping what will be 20 episodes. He is working with a production staff that includes Angela Santomero, one of the creators of "Blue's Clues" and a 1986 graduate of Northern Valley Regional High School, as well as a very familiar face in the "Blue's Clues" universe whom Dela Cruz first met during auditions.

Dela Cruz got to meet the original host of "Blue's Clues" while on set.

"The director gives me notes ... he starts to walk away, and he stops and turns around, 'Oh, Steve, do you have anything?' and then, emerging from the masking, he goes 'Oh, this is Steve Burns by the way," Dela Cruz said. Burns was once the subject of dark rumors of drugs and death (debunked by Snopes.com). Now, he is a consulting producer on the show.

When episodes start airing, Dela Cruz hopes children and their parents, especially Asian-Americans, will find inspiration in seeing him their TV screens.

"Probably, the best thing I have read and I have heard is that 'He looks like me,' and it rocks my world," Dela Cruz said.

###

From New Jersey Monthly:

Joshua Dela Cruz, the New Host of Nickelodeon’s Blue’s Clues

The New Milford native stars in the reboot of the beloved children's television show with a new name: "Blue's Clues & You."

During his audition to become the new host of Nickelodeon’s Blue’s Clues, Joshua Dela Cruz had a good idea what to expect—stand in front of a green screen and imagine the animated characters, like Sidetable Drawer, Mailbox and the loveable dog Blue. What he didn’t know was the original host, Steve Burns, was hiding in the audition room.

“He snuck up on me,” says Dela Cruz. “But as soon as he came out, I automatically felt empowered and like I was supposed to be there.”

With Burns’s stamp of approval, 29-year-old Dela Cruz got the part. In addition to a new host, the 20-episode reboot of the children’s television show that ran from 1996-2006 also has a new name Blue’s Clues & You. The show will have the same premise: the live-action host invites the home audience to join him on Blue’s clue-led adventure with puzzles along the way. No date has been announced for the show’s premiere.

Burns, who is a consulting producer on the new show, has shown Dela Cruz the ropes. “He was essentially my Morpheus, taking me through the Matrix that is Blue’s Clues,” says Dela Cruz. Dela Cruz is the only non-animated element of the show so he has to visualize all digital components. “I’m talking directly into the lens, and I have to kind of fabricate [everything] in my head.” To make it work, Dela Cruz pretends he’s talking to his nephew.

In the studio, Dela Cruz doesn’t hear the dialogue or sound effects that viewers experience. His assistant makes noises and reads lines to give Dela Cruz a sense of timing. The choreography also is complicated. “You can’t just walk anywhere—you might walk through a table,” he says.

Growing up in New Milford, Dela Cruz was a big Blue’s Clues fan. He credits the catchy “Mail Song” with spurring his interest in singing.

During his junior year at New Milford High School, Dela Cruz starred in a musical called The Bagel Factory. Rob McClure, a New Milford native and Tony-nominated actor, wrote and directed the production based on his experiences working for the bagel shop in town. The role earned Dela Cruz a Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Award nomination. He didn’t win, but still received a scholarship to participate in the theater’s Summer Conservancy at Montclair State University. That’s when Dela Cruz started seriously considering acting as a career.

“It was all kind of meant to be and crazy how it happened,” he says. “Had those dots not connected, I probably wouldn’t be here today.” Dela Cruz earned a BFA in musical theater from MSU in 2011 and has been acting since. Until now, the highlight was a four-year stint as an understudy in the original cast of Aladdin on Broadway—including three months when he took over the lead role.

The transition to television has been a challenge, but the experience as a stage performer is a help. “All I had to do,” says Dela Cruz, “was just trust my timing and instincts.”

Few details are available about Blue’s Clues & You except that Blue will be back, as well as a “different” version of the Handy Dandy Notebook. Dela Cruz will still elicit the viewers’ help.

“That’s the biggest part of Blue’s Clues for me—an adult is asking for a kid’s help,” says Dela Cruz. “If we promote this idea of ‘it’s okay to not know the answer,’ I think that would be a really amazing and beautiful thing.”

###

More Nick: 'Blue's Clues' Reboot Finds New Host in Broadway Actor Joshua Dela Cruz!

Originally published: Wednesday, September 26, 2018.
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